Brea, Lodovico

, of Nizza, an artist who flourished from 1483 to 1513, may be considered as the founder of the primitive Ligurian school Genoa and its states still | possess many of his works. Though inferior in taste to the best contemporaries of other schools, meagre in design, and attached to gilding, he yields to none in characteristic beauty of heads, and a vivacity of colour, which has defied time. The folds of his draperies are natural, his composition has propriety, his attitudes spirit, his plans are uncommon. He possesses an originality which clears him from all suspicion of imitation, or deference to another school; all this is to be understood of small proportions, for on large dimensions it does not appear that he ever ventured. The most praised of his relics are a “Murder of the Innocents” at St. Agostino; and a “St. John,” in the oratory of the Madonna di Savona. ¹